Tuffin, who starts on June 25, leaves a post as executive vice president of America&rsquo;s Health Insurance Plans, where he served as the trade group&rsquo;s lead public affairs strategist during the 2010 health care debate.

Tuffin is returning to APCO, where he was a vice president before joining AHIP in 2005. His previous posts include senior director of strategic communications at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Tuffin has also advised numerous political campaigns, including the 1996 and 2000 presidential bids of Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and worked on Capitol Hill.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m pleased to welcome Mike back at an important point for APCO and our field,&rdquo; APCO founder and CEO Margery Kraus said in a statement. &ldquo;The world is changing, and so are the needs of clients. Stakeholders are interacting with brands in new and complex ways and significantly raising expectations for companies.&rdquo;

Tuffin is the latest in a string of high-profile hires for APCO in D.C., including senior vice presidents Tim Roemer, former U.S. ambassador to India, and Paul Dyck, former associate White House political director, as well as vice president Parita Shah, former public affairs strategist at the Commerce Department.